


Loading Screens

by L_The_other_consulting_detective



Series: Moved from Tumblr:FFXV [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, M/M, Past, strange narrative
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 21:37:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16840891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_The_other_consulting_detective/pseuds/L_The_other_consulting_detective
Summary: “You know the day you said you like guys? How I said that I couldn’t be bothered with love?”He cracks an eye open enough to catch Prompto’s slow nod and confused nose wrinkle. Its cute and doesn’t help Noctis in the slightest.“I made a mistake Prom. I found somebody and there’s no way…there’s no way for it to work. ”





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It’s a quiet afternoon, their homework is done and there is little to do until their game finishes it’s update. The palace might have ridiculously high speed internet but Noctis’ apartment doesn’t yet.   
  
The Prince is sprawled over the couch, controller dangling loosely in one hand while the other idly messes with his dark hair. Prompto sits on the floor in front of him, staring blankly at the screen as the bar inches its way to completion. His mind is buzzing with doubts, because it’s the perfect time to tell his friend and really, that’s the whole reason he came over in the first place.   
  
He doesn’t want Noctis, his first and only true friend, to freak out though. Logically he knows that Noctis will be cool about it, that he won’t think twice, but Prompto’s still scared, he’s never come out to anyone before. His parent’s aren’t around enough and he’s never been close to anyone else before.   
  
He takes a deep breath, then stops, but it’s too late because the sound has drawn Noctis’ attention.   
  
“What is it? C’mon man, I know that sigh.”   
  
Prompto deliberately doesn’t look at Noctis as he asks, “Do you like girls?”   
  
Noctis shrugs,frowning a little, “I guess? I dunno dude, I’ve never really thought about it. I’ll probably have to marry someone chosen for me eventually, why torture myself by falling in love when I can’t have it?”   
  
Prompto’s gaze settles on the Prince then, because he hadn’t thought about that and suddenly his own truth seems small. Noctis doesn’t give him the chance to change the subject though.   
  
“Do you not?”   
  
Fuck, he always asks questions like that, like it’s nothing. Prompto inhales sharply and bounces his foot against the carpet,   
  
“I mean, I do…but…I kinda like guys too?”   
  
There, he said it. He watches Noctis’ face, the Prince takes it calmly and seems thoughtful and Prompto swears he sees a hopeful kind of flicker in Noctis’ eyes. Before he can chase it down though it’s gone and Noctis grins at him,   
  
“So that’s why you wanted to be my friend huh? Cause I’m hot stuff.”   
  
Prompto smacks at his shoulder and laughs, cheeks coloring just a little, “Yeah, in your freakin’ dreams. I just felt bad for you having nothin’ beautiful in your life I thought I’d come grace you with my presence. Also you draw in chicks dude.”   
  
Noctis laughs with him but it feels a little off. Prompto watches his friend carefully as they lapse back into the quiet, the weight of his confession is gone and he devotes himself to studying Noctis’ feature. He has a crush on him, he’s not blind to his own feelings about the Prince, but even so he thinks Noctis looks a little sad, a little tired.   
  
He opens his mouth to ask but Noctis isn’t looking at him, sitting up, “C’mon, it’s loaded.”   
  
Prompto snaps his lips shut and picks his controller back up, he’ll save his question for another day, maybe one when he’s brave enough to tell Noctis how his smile make his heart beat harder. Maybe.

  
  


Noctis knows this scene, he and Prompto sprawled together on a warm evening, the loading bar taking an annoyingly long time to finish.   
  
It’s been nearly a year since Prompto’s brief confession and Noctis has done his best not to be different around his friend. He watches him now, the way his blonde hair is growing a little long on one side and the curve that Prompto’s taking to molding part of it into. He likes it, he kind of wants to be the ruin of it.   
  
It’s those kinds of thoughts that he tries not to let out. He’s always liked the blonde, as more than a friend for so long that it sometimes feels like he’s never felt any other way. It’s gotten harder though, knowing the flirty girl crazy Prompto likes men.   
  
That maybe, if he didn’t have a marriage waiting for him for political reasons, he could have something more. He knows it would be real, knows too that as much as he has tried, it’s too late. He’s in love and it’s going to end up hurting them both in ways he can’t do anything about.   
  
He must be lost in his musing, staring at Prompto and feeling the hole created by his love, for too long since Prompto’s blue yes are suddenly focused on him.   
  
Its so familiar, them catching each others avoidant gazes. Prompto searches his face and a from tugs at his lips.   
  
“Noct, you alright man?”   
  
Noctis means to force himself to nod but instead he just closes his eyes.   
  
“You know the day you said you like guys? How I said that I couldn’t be bothered with love?”   
  
He cracks an eye open enough to catch Prompto’s slow nod and confused nose wrinkle. Its cute and doesn’t help Noctis in the slightest.   
  
“I made a mistake Prom. I found somebody and there’s no way…there’s no way for it to work. ”   
  
Prompto takes in the Prince, ignoring the twist of jealousy in his stomach. He doesn’t know who it could be because he’s never noticed Noctis talking to anyone but Ignis, Gladio, and himself….well and Luna but he would probably be able to be with her so that doesn’t make sense. He ignored the hurt welling inside of him though, in the face of Noctis sorrow. His Prince is moody but rarely truly as desolate as his expression now suggest.   
  
“In sorry Noct. Man that’s…rough.”    
His frown deepens and he nods firmly. “ Fuck it dude. If you want to be with someone, you should. You can’t let what might happen get in the way you know? Better to have loved and all that stuff. Besides, who else is gonna give me dating advice huh? We can’t both be hopeless!”   
  
Noctis huffs, leave it to Prompto to try and find something light, to try and push him to take chances. He knows he can’t but…he thinks it’s only fair Prompto knows how he feels, so he can understand why Noctis is trying to distance himself.   
  
“Prom, I can’t. Its not just that someday I have to take a wife…it’s that I can’t risk ruining our friendship.”   
  
He opens his eyes then and watches Prompto ready an argument only to understand. His eyes grow wide and he sits up straighter, twisting to fully face Noctis who is still laying on his couch.   
  
“Our…our friendship?”   
  
Noctis nods slowly, expecting many things but not the flash of anger he gets.   
  
“What the fuck? You think you can just make the choice to not…to not say anything to me because of our friendship? Don’t I get a say? I’ve loved you for too long not to-”   
  
He cuts off, face warming as he and Noctis are caught, staring at each other.   
  
In the background the start menu opens.

  
  


They are sitting in the little used chairs, opposite sides of Noctis’ small table and all the lights are turned off, leaving them in the dark.   
  
Prompto wishes he could see Noctis’ face but he knows that’s why they agreed on the dark, neither of them is good at this, neither of them can handle it knowing they can be seen. At least not until they get out all of the talking.   
  
Noctis had eventually switched off the console and turned to Prompto, his face open and vulnerable in a way Prompto had never seen and never wanted to forget.   
  
“We should talk about this, I guess.”   
  
“Yeah”   
  
So here they are, silently sitting at a table in the dark. Prompto takes a breath to start, then takes another, and another. They can’t stay like this forever and his thoughts are screaming because, Noctis apparently likes him to. He also thinks they’re doomed. Fuck.   
  
Finally Prompto pushes a hand through his hair and gives up. Noctis will just have to take the first step.   
  
Almost like he knows what Prompto’s sigh means, Noctis’ voice breaks the silence and the blonde starts.   
  
“Man, I guess I’ll go? I like you Prom, so much, but like I said…relationships with me are pretty much fucked and you’re my best friend. You’re right though, so I suppose, if you really lo-uh-like me too, it’s up to you.”   
  
Prompto shifts, frowning in the dark. He doesn’t want this to be just his choice but, he’s known Noctis for long enough to know that his friend wants this. That Noctis’ carefully neutral tone and seeming disinterest are just shields against his emotions. He twists his fingers together before carefully setting them on the edge of the table, one by one, as he finds his answer.   
  
‘I do, like you too. I mean, I know you’re a Prince dude, but I like you because of who you are, always have and…even if you have to get married or whatever, you’ll still be my best bud? I just, I can’t help it that I want more, even if it’s not forever, it’s still good enough for me.”   
  
The darkness is Prompto’s best friend as he swallows the pain that the thought of having to let Noctis go, permanently, brings welling up in his throat. It tastes like the way some of his barely-there memories do and make him feel like he’s missing pieces.   
  
He’s blinking suddenly, to enveloped by his own emotions and the way that Noctis hadn’t answered to realize that the Prince was moving. Noctis is standing in front of him, leaning over his still seated form.   
  
“Do you mean it?”   
  
There’s something soft and pleading, no shields in sight, burning in Noctis’ face and Prompto licks his lips, nodding quickly. There’s a breath, a pause and then Noctis is cupping his face, hands formed to the curve of his cheeks and their foreheads are pressed together, blue eyes trying to focus on the other almost grey ones.   
  
They stay like that, breathing together, eyes locked and Prompto lays his own hand on the Prince’s neck lightly, feeling the jump in his pulse.   
  
“It won’t be easy forever.”   
  
“I know”   
  
Really what more is there he can say? Noctis seems to agree as he closes that last distance and kisses him softly and it’s a satisfaction that Prompto’s short circuiting brain equates to watching a loading bar fill the last byte.   
  
If the years to come aren’t exactly kind, they always have that evening, wrapped in newfound love and quiet hope. They always have slow kisses and the sweep of Noctis’ tongue over Prompto’s lips, the way that Prompto gasps at the first taste of his Prince, how eager he is as he licks into the other’s mouth.   
  
In the long darkness, Prompto carries the memory of Noctis’ wide soft eyes before that first kiss, he finds his light in the memory of holding hands and the curve of his Prince’s smile that was only ever for him.   
  
He thinks, it’s the last light he’ll ever see. At the steps when there’s no way back, he finds he is right and he feels his life fading, the taste of his love lingering on his tongue, a final kiss. The end credits are rolling, there is nothing left to load.


End file.
